I have sunshine mimosa planted in one half of my front flower bed and while it can be a pain when you want to add another plant to the bed it works great for helping to keep the soil in that bed moist. In the other half of the flower bed (it's split by the front sidewalk) I have chenelle plant and while it's pretty it doesn't seem to be nearly as effective. The down side to sunshine mimosa is that it will go dormant in the winter if the temps get low enough. I've been adding all sorts of things to my front lawn in an effort to at least supplement the grass. On one side of the driveway I have some perennial peanut which seems to be struggling somewhat as I do not water the lawn on a regular basis. On the other side is the sunshine mimosa that is spreading out from the flower bed. Scattered throughout are patches of blue-eyed grass (it's really a tiny native iris), and down in the ditch in front of the house I have wild onions, native white rain lilies, pink rain lilies, and a little native false garlic. Also scattered about the lawn are clumps of spiderwort, also known as virginia bluebells, this plant while attractive can become something of a pest as if you brush up against the spent flowers they will dye your skin and clothes blue. They also can be rather rough on a lawn mower. Also in the front lawn is coreopsis grandiflora, although I've been digging it up and potting it. It spread to the lawn by seed from plants in the flowerbed. It really gets bigger then what I want growing in the lawn. I prefer to have things that can handle the occasional mowing when the weeds start getting overly tall! If you didn't mind it's height then I can tell you that it has no problem making itself at home with the grass! Kara

It might be helpful to identify exactly what we are talking about here as there seems to be a couple of different posters with questions. Monkey grass is a common name applied to both Liriope and Ophiopogon (mondo grass, lilyturf, aztec grass, etc.). Neither are native to the US and the chances of finding either growing naturally and unattended along the side of a country road are a bit slim :-) And neither is a grass - both are fleshy rooted, rhizomatous perennials of the Lily family generally used as groundcovers. They both produce noticeable flowers although some forms (dwarf mondo, Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana') seldom bloom. Care for both of these types of plants is somewhat different than that involved with a true ornamental grass, which is why clarification of what we are really talking about is requested.

Phaltyme: A memorable line from the book "The American Weekend Garden," ...some of the worst weeds will be plants you planted yourself, in the beginning! It echoes in my head whenever I work in the garden. So it took you decades to get the stuff out. Some things you can't completely eradicate, without resorting to gallons of poison, which is definitely not the way to go. Ivy will always come in from the next yard over. Vinca is a famous escaper of gardens, it is growing all over California state parks now. I hope to reach an accommodation with the invaders I can't completely eradicate. PlantFreak: I had a great laugh reading your post. Naturally, if Japanese plants are weeds all over the place here, the reverse would be true! But I never thought of it. I suppose there's some sort of justice in the situation. --O

There are smaller varieties I believe. I have just put in a variegated one called 'Munroes's white' which I was told is smaller. It has white flowers. I have mixed it with another variegated one that has pink flowers and a green that has purple flowers. I just hope the sizes are compatible because I didn't give it much thought....oh well, you live and learn lol. Cheers, Dee.